Automatic pocket pressing machine



Oct. 13, 1964 OLDBER AUTOMATIC POCKET PRESSING MACHINE 4 Sheets- Sheet 1Filed May 29, 1961 INVENTOR. HARRY GOLDBERG ATTORNEYS.

H. GOLDBERG 3,152,736

AUTOMATIC POCKET PRESSING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS.

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AUTOMATIC POCKET PRESSING MACHINE Filed May 29, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 3FIG.7.

INVENTOR HARRY GOLDBERG BY W2 1 ATTORNEYS.

Filed May 29, 1961 AUTOMATIC POCKET PRESSING MACHINE H. GOLDBERG I 5 w w1 F I 'IIIIIIIIIIIII LILIIILILI 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fl G. l2.

INVENTOR. HARRY GOLDBERG BY We ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent ice Calif.

Filed May 29, 1961, Ser. No. 113,230 12 Claims. (Cl. 223-38) Thisinvention relates to a machine for pressing pocket blanks, and moreparticularly for folding and pressing edges of pocket blanks andpressing them in folded position preparatory to sewing them to shirts,jackets and other articles of clothing.

Heretofore, pocket blanks have been folded by successive hand feeding ofthe cut-out fabric blanks to a folding and steam pressing mechanism andthen removing each pressed blank from the pressing mechanism by hand.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine which canbe supplied with a stack of flat pocket blanks at a pick-up station, themachine having means for automatically transferring successive pocketblanks from the supply stack to a pressing station, where edges of theblanks are folded upon the blank and pressed, with or without steam, andthen removed by the machine from the pressing station and deposited in astack which can periodically be removed by the operator. This machinecompletely eleminates the successive feeding and removal of singlepocket blanks .to and from the pressing apparatus. It speeds up thefolding and pressing operation and a single operator can be utilized fora number of machines since it is necessary for the operator only tosupply stacks of unfolded blanks and remove stacks of folded blanks.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the type setforth above wherein more than one pickup station and pressing stationcan be used and a pocket blank transfer device operated to move pocketblanks simultaneously between more than one set of pick-up and pressingstations.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the typereferred to wherein pocket blanks are picked up, deposited at thepressing station, folded and pressed in their folded condition, removedfrom the pressing station and deposited in a receiver, wherein theseveral operations can be motivated from a single drive unit and areactuated in synchronism.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pocket blank pressingmachine with a pocket blank pick-up and transfer mechanism which willhold individual pocket blanks flat until they are deposited in or on thepressing mechanism and release them for folding and pressing withoutmanual aid.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a pick-up stationhaving a vertically movable support for a stack of pocket blanks, and areceiver for a stack of folded and pressed pocket blanks having avertically movable support wherein the support at the pick-up stationwill maintain the top pocket blank in a stack at a predeterminedelevation relative to the transfer device, and wherein the verticallymovable support at the receiver for folded and pressed blanks will movevertically downwardly as the support at the pick-up station movesvertically upwardly and at a greater speed than the support at thepick-up station to compensate for the additional thickness of the foldededges of the pocket blanks on the re- 7 V ceiver support. In thedescription and claims where the 3,152,736 Patented Oct. 13, 1954 tionsor units of the apparatus which operate upon the folded pocket blanks topress them.

The above and other objects and advantages will more fully appear fromthe following description in connection with the accompany drawings:

FIG. 1 is a general View in perspective of an embodiment of theinvention showing four pairs of transfer arms, two pick-up stations, twopressing stations and two receivers;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken approximately on theline 2-2 of FIG. 1;

P16. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the line 33of FIG. 2 and on a more reduced scale;

PEG. is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken approximately on theline 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional detail through the elevator fora stack of pocket blanks at the pick-up station with portions shown inbroken lines to indicate the release for returning the elevator to itsstarting position;

FIG. '6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 of the pocket blank loweringelevator at the receiver for folded and pressed pocket blanks;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional detail taken approximately on the line77 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectionaldetail of an edge of the movable presserplate;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the oscillatingpocket blank pick-up members;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through the pick-upelement of FIG. 9 showing one of the pick terms pick-up'station andpressing station are used,

such terms are intended to designate those units or portions of theapparatus which respectively hold a stack of up fingers;

FIG. 11 is an end elevational view of a pair of spaced pocket blankpick-up members showing them oscillated in opposite directions andengaging a pocket blank at the pick-upstation;

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 11 with the pick-up members oscillatedoppositely to each other in the 0pposite direction from FIG. 11 torelease and deposit a pocket blank at the pressing station;

The apparatus includes a frame or housing 14 having sides 6, a bottom 13and a top 20. Two or more bearing blanks 22 are secured to and extendupwardly from the casing bottom 18 and support for rotation a driveshaft 24, one end of which extends exteriorly of the casing as shown inFIG. 1 and may conveniently be driven by an electric motor, not shown.

The drive shaft 24 intermediate its ends carries a worm 26 meshed with aworm gear 28 on a cross-shaft 30. The drive shaft 24 has a rotary tooth32. mounted thereon for rotation therewith. Said tooth 32 intermittentlyengages an arm 34 mounted for oscillatory rotation on a vertical rotarytable shaft 36.

A ratchet ring 38 is splined on the shaft 36 for relative movementtherebetween axially of said shaft. A spring biased ratchet pawl 4% iscarried by the arm 34 and engageable with the teeth of the ratchetring38 to rotate table 46 mounted thereon for step-by-step rotationtherewith.

Mounted on and extending from the table 46 are pairs of pocket paneltransfer arms 48 comprising portions of a 3 pocket blank transferdevice. When the table 46 is rotated in its step-by-step movement, twoopposite pairs of arms 48 will each move from a pick-up station 5% to afolding and pressing station 52 and the other two pairs of pickup arms48 will move from a folding and pressing station to one each of thepick-up stations 50.

On the cross-shaft 3G is a cam 54 upon which the lower end of thevertical shaft 36 rests. This cam is adapted to elevate the shaft 36,table 46 and pairs of transfer arms 48 when pocket blanks are picked upfrom the pickup stations 59 and to lower said table ,6 and pick-up arms48 at the pressing stations 52.

In FIG. 5 there is shown means for elevating unfolded pocket blankswhich are stacked at the respective pickup stations 54). Each pick-upstation includes a receptacle 56 as shown in FIG. 1, a portion of thebottom of which is shown at 53 in FIG. 5. Within the receptacle 56 is avertically movable bottom 60. Welded or otherwise suitably secured tothe underside of the vertically movable bottom 60 is a tube 62 having apair of slits, one of which is shown at 64 and which extend upwardlyfrom its lower end, the tube being sprung so that the two halves thereofwill separatelaterally when unconfined. On the 7 lower end of each halfof the tube 62 are complementary half-nuts 66 and 68 which are threadedto engage a threaded shaft 70 mounted in a bearing 72 carried by abracket '74, suitably secured to the housing bottom 13, as

shown in FIG. 2.

The lower end of the shaft 70 carries a bevel gear '76 which as shown'inPEG. 2 is meshed with a complementary bevel gear 78 on a shaft 80. Theshaft 8%) is connected by a suitable universal coupling joint 32 to thecross shaft 39.

The half-nuts es and 68 carried by the tube 62, and engaging thethreaded shaft 7t), are provided with cam surfaces 84 and a cam followerring 36. When the gears I 6 and 73 and the threaded shaft '79 arerotated, the half-nuts es and 68 will follow upwardly on said threadedshaft, raising the tube 62 and the vertically movable bottom 66 of thepickup receptacle 56, gradually raising a stack of pocket blanks withinthe receptacle so that the uppermost blank will be maintained at anapproximately constant level, and permitting the pocket blank transferdevice to engage and pick up the uppermost blank.

When the split tube 62 and the receptacle bottom 64 reach their upperlimit of movement, the cam follower ring 86 on the half-nuts 66 and 68will engage the receptacle bottom 53, dislodging the cam ring 86downwardly until its rests in the notches 88 at the bottom portions ofthe half-nuts. By reason of the downward taper of the cam surfaces 84,the half-nuts can separate under the spring action of the split tube 62and said half-nuts will become disengaged from the threaded shaft '76.

Thereupon the receptacle bottom 60, split tube 6?. and half-nuts 6e and68 will drop down until the cam follower ring 86 engages the upper edgeof an abutment cup 90 on the upper side of the bracket '74. The weighteddownward movement of the half-nuts 66 and 68 will cause the cam surfaces84 to bring the half-nuts together due to the confinement of the ring 86and said half-nuts will again engage the threaded shaft 70, and the ring86 will retain them in the engaged position, whereupon, rotation of theshaft '7 b will again begin to elevate the vertically movable receptaclebottom 60.

Each pair of spaced parallel pick-up arms 48 has a pair of spaced blocks92 on its underside, and mounted between them for rotation relativethereto, is a shaft or rocker d4. In FIG. 9 this shaft is shown to be oftwisted wires 95 which grip between them helically arranged pickupfingers 98. One such finger is shown enlarged in FIG. 10 between thewires 96. Each finger 98 is gripped midway by the wires 96 and the endof said pick-up fingers 98 are burred or angularly offset as at lttltl.As the trans- "fer table 46 is rotated through 90, it is elevated by thecam 54 on the drive shaft 24 which acts upon the vertical pick-upstation, as indicated in FIG. 11.

4. shaft 36 which supports said table 46. When a pair of pick-up arms 48comes to a position above a pick-up station 50 and its receptacle 56,the shaft 36 will ride off the high portion of the cam 54 causing thepick-up arms 48 and their'pick-up elements comprising the fingers 98 todrop with the elements engaging the uppermost of a stack of fiat pocketblanks in each receptacle 56. As the pick-up elements engage theuppermost pocket blank, a T-head 102, on the outer end of each pick-upelement shaft 94, will engage an upstanding abutment 104 on the top ofthe housing 14 and oscillate each pick-up element as best indicated inFIG. 11. In that view the left-hand pick-up element will partiallyrotate in a clockwise direction and the right pick-up element willpartially rotate counter-clockwise. This will cause the burred orangularly pointed ends of the pick-up fingers 98 to dig into theuppermost pocket blank 106 in FIG. 11 and stretch it taut, so that whenthe cam 54 again elevates the shaft 36, transfer table 46 and transferarms 48, the uppermost pocket blank will be carried between the transferarms.

When the transfer table and arms 48 rotate through 90 from a pick-upstation 50 to a pressing station 52, the cam 54 will again drop thetransfer arms, and the T- heads 102 on the transfer elements will engageupstanding projections 108 at each side of'the pressing station. Theseprojections 108 are disposed between the pick-up elements and willengage the T-heads 102 to partially rotate the pick-up elements, asindicated in FIG. 12, in directions oppositely to the partial rotationimparted at the This reverse rotation ofthe pick-up elements will causethe burred or angularly pointed ends the of the pick-up fingers 98 torelax their grip on the pocket blank 196 and deposit it at the pressingstation.

Mounted on an arm 110' carried on a pivot 112 between lugs 114 on thehousing top 20 is a presser plate 116. The presser plate arm 11% has adownwardly bent end 118 with a slot 120. An actuating lever 122 for thepresser plate arm 110 is pivotally mounted at 124 between lugs 126mounted on the housing bottom 18. The lever 122 has an upstanding end128 which carries a pin 13% extending through the slot 12% in thedownwardly extending arm of the presser plate arm 110. The lever 122extends to the right, as shown in FIG. 4, beyond its supporting pivot124 and lies beneath a presser plate actuating'cam 132 onthe drive shaft24. When a pair of transfer arms 48 deposits a pocket blank at thepressing station, the cam 132 through the lever 122 and presser platearm 119 will lower the presser plate 116 and press the pocket blankagainst the top 134 of a steam box 136 having steam apertures 138thereabout adjacent its edges. When transfer arms 48 are swinging fromone station to another, the preser arms 116 are elevated and thetransfer arms swung beneath them.

At the pressing station beneath the housing top 29 is a pair of springbiased Lr-shaped pocket edge folding members 146 having slots 14-2 and144 which receive pins 146 and 148 extending upwardly from the top 134ofthe steam box 136. This causes the folding members 14% to moveangularly as indicated by the angles of the slots 142 and 144'. As shownin FIG. 3, the folding members 149, when in the position of that figure,have their adjacent ends tapering and in overlapping relationship asindicated by the full line 150' which is the end edge of the overlayingmember 140, and the broken line 152, which is the end edge of theunderlying member 14th. This overlap is on a flat angle so that when theportions are overlapped. as shown, the folding members E40 lie in acommon flat plane.

The folding members have corners 154 cntolf at an angle and are adaptedto slidingly abut similarly angled edges 156 of an actuating member 158.When the member 158 is pushed against the angled corners 154 of thefolding members 140, said folding members will move in the direction ofthe slots 142 as stated above. -When a pocket blank is deposited upontop 134 of the steam box 136, and the folding members 140 are moved asdescribed above, they will slide under the edges of the pocket blankswhich extend outwardly a short distance at three sides of the movablepresser plate 116 and said edges of the pocket blank will be folded overthe edges of the presser plate and steam applied to the folded fabric ofthe pocket blank in a manner to be described below.

The pocket edge folding member actuator 158 is connected by a pin 160through a slot 162 to a lever 164 pivoted at its center on the verticalshaft 36. The opposite end of the lever 164 extends to and is connectedwith a duplication of the actuator 158 at the other side of the machine.

The lever 164 which moves the actuator 158 is itself moved by a lever166 shown in FIG. 2 which is pivoted at 168 to one side of the steam box136. The upper end of the lever 166 is connected by a pivot 170 to a lug172 on the underside of the left half of lever 164 as viewed, in FIG. 3.The lower end of lever 166 bears against a cam 174 on the drive shaft 24as shown in FIG. 3. Rotation of the drive shaft and the cam 174 impartsmotion through levers 166 and 164 to the actuator 158 which bearsagainst the sliding pocket edge folding members 140.

The pocket edge forming and pressing mechanism per. se is not new.Customarily coupled therewith is some means for supplying intermittentjets of steam to the steam box 136 where it issues through the apertures138 to the folded pocket edges. For the purpose of this invention I haveindicated in FIG. 1 a steam inlet line 176 which leads to the steam box136. Suitable means not shown, such as a cam actuated valve, can beoperated from the drive shaft 24 to supply steam at the time the edgesof the pocket blank are folded over the movable presser, plate 116.There is shown a branch line 178 leading from the steam line 176 to atrap 180 which perrnits the bypassed steam to condense. Air from thetrap 180 is fed through a pair of tubes 182 which lead respectively toconduits 184 in each of the movable presser plates 116. The conduits184m the presser plates extend through an edge of each "of said plates,shown in FIG. 8.

When the pocket blank has its edges folded and subjected to steam sothat they are pressed in folded condition, the edge formers 140 andtheir actuator 158 are retracted, the movable presser plate 116 israised with the pocket folded about three of its edges, and air issupplied through the conduits 184 to blow the pocket with its foldededges from said movable presser plate. The pocket is blown from thepresser plate in the direction of and is received in a receiver 186, apair of which are shown at opposite corners in FIGS. 1 and 3.

In each receiver 186, as shown in FIG. 6, is a vertically.

186. As in FIG. 5, the split tube 190 has half-nuts 196 and 198 on itslower end. The half nuts have tapered cam surfaces 260 and a camfollower ring 202 fits about the half-nuts and is adapted to follow thecam surfaces 200 to cause the-half-nuts 196 and 198 to engage and ordisengage a threaded vertical shaft 204 in a bearing 206, and as shownin FIG. 2, the lower end of the shaft 204 is provided with a bevel gear208 which meshes with a bevel gear 210 on a shaft 212, (FIG. 3); whichis suitably geared to the drive shaft 24. It should be noted that thebevel gears 208 and 210 which drive the vertical shaft 204 in eachreceiver should have such a ratio that the pocket blank support 188 inthe receiver will move approximately twice as fast, or more, than themovable support 60 in each of the receptacles at the pick-up stations.This speed differential is provided because of the added thickness ofeach pocket blank after its edges have been turned and pressed.

From the foregoing it'will be seen that I have provided means forforming and pressing the edges of pocket blanks wherein a stack of flatunfolded blanks can be placed at the pick-up station, single blanks arepicked up and transported to the pressing station where the edges areturned and pressed with steam, and the folded and pressed blanks aredeposited in the receiver where they are stacked. It is necessary onlyfor the operator to place stacks of unfolded blanks in the pick-upreceptacle and remove blanks with their edges folded and pressed instacks from the receiver. All the operations are sequential andpreferably driven in their timed relationship from a cam drive source.The machine eliminates the need for single feeding to and removal fromthe presser of individual blanks by hand and permits a single operatorto take care of a number of machines operating at the same time.

It will of course be understood that various changes can be made in theform, details and arrangement of the various parts without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

I claim: f

1. In a shirt pocket pressing machine, a power drive unit, a pocketblank pick-up station including a vertically movable pocket blanksupporting table connected to said drive unit for vertical actuation ofsaid table, a pocket blank transfer device connected to said drive unitfor movement thereby, a pressing station including means for turning andpressing edges of pocket blanks, a connection from said drive shafttosaid edge turning and pressing means for actuation of said lattermeans by said drive unit, the transfer device being movable between thepickup station and the pressing station, and means having an operatingconnection with said drive shaft for removing pressed pocket blanks fromsaid turning and pressing means.

2. In a shirt pocket pressing machine, a pocket blank pick-up stationhaving means for supporting a stack of pocket blanks, a pressing stationincluding means for folding and pressing edges of the pocket blanks, apocket blank transfer device movable from said pick-up station to saidpressing station, said transfer device including a pair of elementsspaced to engage opposite edge portions of the uppermost of a stack ofpocket blanks at said pressing station, said spaced elements havingportions movable away from each other first to engage and hold a pocketblank flat between them and then movable toward each other to releasethe pocket blank, means operatively associated with said pick-up devicefor effecting movement of said spaced portions of said transfer deviceaway from each other at said pick-up station, and means operativelyassociated with said spaced elements for moving them toward each otherat said pressing station.

3. In a shirt pocket pressing machine, a pocket blank pick-up stationhaving means for supporting a stack of pocket blanks, a pressing stationincluding means for folding and pressing edges of the pocket blanks, apocket blank transfer device movable from said pick-up station to saidpressing station, said transfer device including a pair of spacedelements having fabric-engaging portions movable with said transferdevice to engage and pick up successive uppermost pocket blanks. fromthe stack, means at the pressing station for disengaging saidfabric-engaging portions of said spaced pick-up elements from saidpocket blanks, and a power drive unit having sequential operatingconnections with said transfer device and said means for folding andpressing edges of said pocket blanks.

4. In a shirt pocket pressing machine, a power drive unit, a pocketblank pick-up station, a pressing station,

7 means at said pressing station and connected for operation to saidpower drive unit for turning the edges of successive pocket blanks, atransfer device connected to said power drive unit and movable therebybetween said pickup station and said pressing station, said transferdevice including a pair of spaced rockets with pocket blank-engagingelements thereon, and means on said machine for moving said rockets andtheir blank-engaging fingers in opposition directions.

5. In a shirt pocket pressing machine, a power drive unit, a pocketblank pick-up station including a vertically movable support for a stackof pocket blanks, said support being connected to said power drive unitfor vertical movement thereby, a pressing station, an individual pocketblank pickup and transfer device driven by said power drive unit andmovable to convey a pocket blank from said pick-up station to saidpressing station including means on said transfer device for picking upand depositing pocket blanks.

In a shirt pocket pressing machine, a power drive unit, a pocket blankpick-up station including a vertically movable support for a stack ofpocket blanks, said support being connected to said power drive unit forvertical movement thereby, a pressing station, a transfer device drivenby said power drive unit and movable from said pick-up station to saidpressing station, and means adjacent said pressing station for receivingand stacking pressed pocket blanks including a vertically movablesupport connected to said power drive unit for vertical movement therebyat a speed greater than that of the vertically movable support at saidpick-up station.

7. The structure in claim 6 and said vertically movable support forreceiving pressed pocket blanks adjacent said pressing station beingconnected to said power drive unit for vertical movementin a directionoppositely to and at a speed at least twice that of the verticallymovable support at said pick-up station.

' 8. In a shirt pocket pressing machine, a frame having a central area,a pair of spaced pocket blank pick-up sta- 8 ing up single blanks fromthe pick-up stations and depositing them at their respective pressingstations.

9. The structure in claim 8 and means movable in relationship tomovement of said transfer arms for folding edges of pocket blanks uponsaid blanks.

10. The structure in claim 8 and means movable in relationship tomovement of said transfer arms for folding edges of pocket blanks uponsaid blanks,. and means movable in relationship to said transfer armsand said means for folding edges of pocket blanks, for pressing thefolded edges of said pocket blanks.

11. In a shirt pocket pressing machine, a drive unit, a pocket blankpick-up station, a pocket blank pressing station, a pocket blanktransfer device movable from said pick-up station to said pressingstation and connected to said drive unit for actuation thereby, saidpressing station having a stationary first presser plate, a secondpresser plate movable toward away from the stationary presser plate andconnected to said drive unit for actuation thereby, means adjacent saidfirst presser plate for folding edges of pocket blanks over edges of themovable presser plate, and means for directing a fiow of a gaseousmedium toward an edge of the movable presser plate and a folded pocketblank edge to remove folded pocket blanks therefrom.

12. In a shirt pocket pressing machine, a power drive unit, a pocketblank pickup station includingmeans for holding a stack of pocketblanks, a pressing station, an individual pocket blank pickup andtransfer device hav- 1 ing means for sucessively removing single pocketblanks References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES,PATENTS 1,420,474 Elliott June 20, 1922 1,563,747 Hosmer Dec. 1, 19252,065,673 Fay l 1936 2,544,662 Foster Mar. 13, 1951 2,813,638 MillerNov. 19, 1957 2,815,249 Curtenius Dec. 3, 1957

1. IN A SHIRT POCKET PRESSING MACHINE, A POWER DRIVE UNIT, A POCKETBLANK PICK-UP STATION INCLUDING A VERTICALLY MOVABLE POCKET BLANKSUPPORTING TABLE CONNECTED TO SAID DRIVE UNIT FOR VERTICAL ACTUATION OFSAID TABLE, A POCKET BLANK TRANSFER DEVICE CONNECTED TO SAID DRIVE UNITFOR MOVEMENT THEREBY, A PRESSING STATION INCLUDING MEANS FOR TURNING ANDPRESSING EDGES OF POCKET BLANKS, A CONNECTION FROM SAID DRIVE SHAFT TOSAID EDGE TURNING AND PRESSING MEANS FOR ACTUATION OF SAID LATTER MEANSBY SAID DRIVE UNIT, THE TRANSFER DEVICE BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN THE PICKUPSTATION AND THE PRESSING STATION, AND MEANS HAVING AN OPERATINGCONNECTION WITH SAID DRIVE SHAFT FOR REMOVING PRESSED POCKET BLANKS FROMSAID TURNING AND PRESSING MEANS.